Patching the Autostar for Satellite rise-time

Subject: Satellite patches for v22eR
Sent: Sunday, July 8, 2001 19:02:41
From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (richard seymour)
To show the to-the-second rise-time (AOS) predictions for Satellite
tracking in firmware v22eR, the patches are:
Loc old new
89b0e e2 cd
89b22 e2 cd
You can use the methods described in:
http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_satellite_risetime.html
The "raise AOS/LOS altitude to ten (or 15) degrees" patch is *exactly*
the same as v22eH.
So please read the first note at the above web address.
That patch's data are:
Location Old New
2cf88 5f cc
2cf89 4f 41
2cf8a ed 20 < - - make 70 for fifteen degrees
2cf8b 02 ed
2cf8c 86 00
2cf8d 40 4f
2cf8e ed ed
2cf8f 00 02
For what it's worth, i've tried some tracking, just starting the
tracking when the countdown beeped... and, when the barrel finally
lifted above the mud and obstructions and sky-brightness... there
was the satellite, less than a degree ahead of my eyepiece... a
quick up-slew and it was an easy-to-follow pass until i lost it
nearly dead overhead. The "degree" of error could VERY well have
been my pokey reaction time between "beep" and [enter].
have fun
--dick
(hmmm... i wonder if i can make it track when it beeps?...)

Subject: 22eH patches to raise satellite AOS...
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 21:00:37
From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (richard seymour)
Here is a patch for 22eH which will raise the satellite AOS/LOS
point to (at least) ten or 15 degrees above the horizon.
Location Old New
2cf88 5f cc
2cf89 4f 41
2cf8a ed 20 < - - make 70 for fifteen degrees
2cf8b 02 ed
2cf8c 86 00
2cf8d 40 4f
2cf8e ed ed
2cf8f 00 02
If you're willing to live with eight degrees for AOS/LOS,
then it becomes a one-byte patch:
(i.e. do ONLY this byte, none of the above)
Loc Old New
2cf8d 40 41
As a reminder, the AOS to-the-second patch is:
Location Old New
89c8b 8f 7a
89c9f 8f 7a
and http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_patches.html
is where to get a semi-automatic patching program.
have fun
--dick

Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 18:59:57
From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (richard seymour)
The numbers for 22eH are:
Location Old New
89c8b 8f 7a
89c9f 8f 7a
The patch does not -increase- the Autostar's accuracy, it merely
turns on "showing the seconds" as a part of the displayed time.
Since 22eH AOS's in the murk of the horizon, a to-the-second display
has become far less critical than when we were shaving seconds to
match Heavens-Above's charts.
IF you would rather -not- use a hex editor, the above two lines
can be used in conjuction with a patch-program written by Jim
Berry available at Mike Weasner's site:
http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_patches.html
Just put the above two lines in a text file, put an "R" as the
first character in the two lines, and follow the instructions
at Mike's site.
have fun
--dick (clouded out since the day after 22eH)

patching v22eF for Satellite rise-time

Sent: Wednesday, May 9, 2001 22:00:06
From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (richard seymour)
With the advent of v22eF and its very low altitude Satellite
Aquisition point, the to-the-second timing becomes less critical.
It's very difficult to see even the brightest satellite at an
elevation of between 2 and 6 degrees, so all we can do is start
tracking and try to locate the satellite through the viewfinder
(and then slew to it during tracking) as it rises higher.
I'm looking to see if i can come up with a patch to allow choosing
the AOS altitude... but i haven't hit it yet.
Anyway: to give your AOS display a to-the-second readout, the
patcher locations for v22eF are:
Location Old New
89c8b D5 C0
89c9f D5 C0
Follow the instructions on Mike's site at
http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_patches.html
for the how-to-patch.
have fun...
--dick